landing small reserves

[rigging65 0]

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you wouldn't be significantly better off under a 143 in that circumstance (as opposed to be under a 113 reserve unconscience).

The hell you wouldn't! Go out and jump a 150 and then jump even a 120 and tell me there isn't a SIGNIFICANT difference in speed and rate of descent.

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you have to take different precautions to prevent being in that situation (that is, being unconscience under a reserve).

You're absolutely right, but that doesn't change the fact that you're better off under a bigger reserve "in that situation". You're not going to stop wearing a seat belt just because you're not driving on the freeway, are you? You can't control for every possible accident, so you're best to stack the deck in your favor as best you can in ALL areas.

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[fundgh 0]

The point he was making is that in extreme circumstance you will be unable to Swoop your reserve for a soft landing, and it would be better to have a larger sheet over your head.

...FUN FOR ALL!

[hookitt 1]

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Do you really want to land down-wind, unconscience, under a 113?

my feeling is that if that's the case, you have bigger problems.

On the 232 way attempts in Florida many years back, a jumper from our DZ was knocked out. The cypres did it's thing and a less then a day later he woke up in the hospital. He had quite the concussion and swelling, but after recovery he was fine. Oh yes, the person he collided with landed with a badly broken leg caused by the leg to head impact.

He landed down wind under a micro raven 150 (luckily into some field) loaded at about 1.2

This landing unconcious debate is quite valid. In his particular instance it worked out and Personally I feel having the larger reserve helped.

On a side note, this particular jumper bought about 8 cypres and gave them to people who were less fortunate than he was (me included), and allowed us to pay him back..."Whenever you can"
=
Here is the story in the life saving stories from precisions website. (corny but it had to be edited for dramatic flare

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[billvon 3,107]

>you wouldn't be significantly better off under a 143 in that circumstance.

You most definitely would. Larger canopies go slower than small canopies especially when the brakes are stowed; speed is what will kill you in those situations.

[crazy 0]

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you wouldn't be significantly better off under a 143 in that circumstance.

for having been injured and unable to steer under my reserve, i definitely don't want to downsize. i had enough control & luck to crash into the peas so it was the best of a bad situation.

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you have to take different precautions to prevent being in that situation.

I agree with you, there are different precautions to prevent being in that situation, but maybe you overlooked the actual risk of landing without any control.

How often do you have line twists?
You don't need to be injured to be out of control. Line twists are good enough.

You load your blade at 2.2, right? Even though you are at the lower end of the recommended wing loading, if one day it starts spinning it might be very fast. you might end quite low with 10 full twists under your reserve. At that point you will have no control at all. you'll spend the next 20-40 seconds kicking like hell to get rid of the twists, while the canopy goes wherever it wants (downwind, trees, building, power lines, road...)
I've seen quite a few reserve rides shorter than 40 seconds. Some were even less than 20 seconds. Once, the guy had plenty of time, to clear the twists, after landing.
What realistic precautions do you suggest to prevent being in that situation? Do you honestly think you will never be there?

Big reserves don't only reduce the impact. They also give more time.

--
Come
Skydive Asia

[skymedic 0]

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Please read the story of the sorry accident which happened last week in Deland. One of the victims was heavily wounded as his highly loaded reserve smacked his unconscious body on the runway.
You should always have in mind that thanks to your Cypres you may be flying that reserve unconscious or heavily wounded.
Downsize your main as much as you want, but your reserve is a backup: be more conservative with it.
Rather look into suggestions of switching manufacturers as to allow a small main with a bigger reserve.

I dont believe Chris was unconscious...he remembered the cypres pulling for him...he broke his neck in the freefall collision not from the downwind landing on the tarmac...

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....